Sat Nam _/|\_
Naben ji
May the peace of the One True God (known by many Names in many languages) be with you.
I would like to reply to Searching's question and your response to it.
Searching ji
I believe God forgives people of all religions who sincerely repent. I also believe God forgives us according to a Divine Omniscience. Divine Omniscience created us to be fallible, to be those who often go astray. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. God wants to forgive us. God is waiting for us to ask for forgiveness in whatever language or method we use. If you recite a shabad asking for forgiveness or you recite a verse of Quran doesn't matter.
I believe Quran points to this truth:
Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts; and He is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing. (Quran 2:225)
So it is not so much saying "Forgive me, God"/Estaghiruallah 70 times that matters, its the intent that is there. If any human being sincerely asks God for forgiveness God listens (see the hadith qudsi below where God/Waheguru/YHWH/SatNam/Devi/Brahman/Allah speaks to all humanity (all the sons of Adam...all the children they bore and their children bore and their children's children bore, etc....you get the idea).
Good question
Accrue interest
Through the correct belief
The teachings of Islam can be understood in many ways.
As Muhammad peace be upon him said, "There are as many paths to God as there are souls on earth." - Hadith
Muhammad also said there will be 73 sects of Islam, but only one will enter jannah. Many believe that refers to our division over disagreements within the ummah. Like most large religious communities, the ummah has found many viewpoints. As examples, Sunni scholars separated into the Hanbali, Malik, Shafi or Hanafi schools of jurisprudence. Then there are Shia who believe Ali was meant to be Muhammad's successor. There are also Sufis, Salafiis and liberals who are uniting into what will probably become yet another "sect" of Islam. Only one goes to jannah, according to Muhammad, correct? Which one? Yours? Mine? Ali's? Abu Bakrs? The Ismailis? The salafis? The liberals?
In the end, I wonder if what Muhammad meant is that there are not really 73 sects of Islam. But I don't know. Only Muhammad knows; only God knows.
How do you understand what Muhammad meant by the 73 sects, Naben? Which sect will get someone to heaven? Muhammad is telling us there is only one. What does that mean? It acknowledges that the ummah will divide itself with vain debates and even wars between Muslims who hold different views. Look at how we debate over what Islam teaches instead of saying, "Only Allah knows." Whenever we disagree, shouldn't we say, "Only Allah knows."
Is it possible Muhammad foresaw (whether as a Prophet or one who studied human behavior) people would have endlessly vain disputes about whose religion was right and whose wasn't? And...of course, we never say, "the one who disagrees with my opinion is right." Do we?
How do we draw the ummah together? How do we draw humanity together to experience Muhammad's mission of mercy? How do we draw all creation together to experience Muhammad's mercy? How do we let others know that God/Allah/Waheguru/YHWH/Devi/Ahura Mazda is a God of Mercy?
Interest will not come to you
if
You are far from oneness
When you say Oneness, do you mean Allah/God/Waheguru/HaShem/Devi/Brahman/Ahura Mazda? Or do you mean those who believe what you do? So many of us do that.
A hadith qudsi says:
On the authority of Anas, who said: I heard Muhammad say:
"Allah the Almighty said: 'O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it.'"
[At-Tirmidhi (also by Ahmad ibn Hanbal)
How do you define "the son of Adam"?